Year of the Roller Coaster? A look at the first 35 days of 2018
Missouri voters have given Republicans a historic opportunity to deliver on promises they’ve been making for years — tax reform, smaller government, business-friendly climate — to enact policies that will fill Missouri’s future with prosperity (a.k.a. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS). But there’s been plenty to distract them from that mission so far in 2018:
Jan 1
It’s -6° in Jefferson City.
Weed is officially legal in California.
Kim Jong Un boasts he has a “nuclear button” on his desk and U.S. is within range.
Jan 2
Back in DC, Trump tweets:
(Note- I hope those two don’t have a desk button like Matt Lauer’s in addition to their nuke buttons. It’d be bad to mix those up).
Minnesota Democrat Al Franken resigns from the Senate over sexual harassment allegations.
In Missouri:
Jan 3
First day of session for the Missouri General Assembly. To mark the occasion, the Governor has his Board of Education appointees play musical chairs minutes before (and after) the first gavel.
Alabama Democrat Doug Jones (who beat Republican Roy Moore in a state Trump won by 28 points) sworn into the U.S. Senate.
Jan 4
Rep. Warren Love’s three-hour ethics committee hearing about his comment that Confederate memorial vandals should be “hung from a tree with a long rope” ends in bipartisan confusion.
Jan 5
Trump tweets: The Mercer Family recently dumped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon. Smart!
Greitens prays: Excerpt from Governor’s prayer breakfast:
Jan 6
Trump tweets that he is a “very stable genius.”
People all over Missouri presumably continue to infect each other with terrible flu.
Jan 7
Media breathlessly speculates about a possible 2020 presidential run by Oprah Winfrey after her Golden Globes speech.
Whilst bestowing each other with awards, the celebs also say they’re taking the #MeToo movement seriously and that #TimesUp for sexual miscreants in Hollywood. (The sexual miscreants sitting amongst them at the Golden Globes nod in agreement).
Jan 8
James Franco is blasted on Twitter for wearing a “TimesUp” pin to the Golden Globes. Within days, five women come forward and accuse him of sexual misconduct. Soon thereafter, Scarlett Johanson says “I want my pin back, by the way” when she speaks at Los Angeles Women’s March (she later confirms she was referring to Franco).
Jan 9
George Soros dumps $300K into a PAC called “CLEAN Missouri”
One-year anniversary of the swearing in of Governor Eric Greitens, AG Josh Hawley, Treasurer Eric Schmitt, and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.
Jan 10 – THE STATE OF THE STATE DAY
Governor Greitens delivers the “State of the State” address.
Then, at 10:00 p.m., KMOV airs a bombshell report featuring a secretly-made recording of a hairdresser recounting a March 2015 sexual encounter she allegedly had with Eric Greitens to her estranged husband. Greitens issues statement wherein he admits affair but denies any blackmail. Sheena Greitens issues a statement that is supportive of her husband and asks for privacy.
Jan 11
The trending of “Greitens” on Twitter stops abruptly after a report by Washington Post that “sources” told them that Trump used the term “shithole countries” in reference to Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries during a meeting with lawmakers. Trump denies making that remark.
Jan 12
The “source” that told the Washington Post that Trump used the term “shithole countries” turns out to be the dubious Dick Durbin, who has a history of lying about private white house meetings.
Jan 13
A State employee in Hawaii accidentally sends out an alert falsely warning residents to immediately seek shelter from incoming ballistic missiles. Panic ensues. It takes them 38 minutes to send a message correcting the error.
Jan 14
Democrats in Hawaii claim TRUMP is to blame for THEIR screw up with the missile alert (srsly).
Jan 15 (MLK Day)
Missouri Times publishes Scott Faughn’s “How We Got Here: An anthology of controversies and conflict between the Governor and General Assembly.”
Jan 16
Claire McCaskill “despite battling the flu” dramatically goes to cast the deciding 60th vote to renew #FISA702 without amendment or debate.
Nate Walker, Marsha Haefner, Kathie Conway, Steve Cookson (a.k.a. < 4% of Republicans in House) and Republican Senator Rob Schaaf call upon Greitens to resign.
I chimed in about an ancillary issue relating to the hairdresser’s ex-husband’s attorney, Al Watkins:
Jan 17
Trump announces “FAKE NEWS winners.”
Rudi Keller asks Sen. Ron Richard: ‘what was your first reaction’ to the KMOV story?
“How about that,” Richard said.
Jan 18
Amazon HQ2 list of 20 cities still under consideration announced, no MO suitors made cut.
Greitens unveils highlights of his tax plan.
Jan 19
In Touch magazine releases (7-year-old) interview in which porn star Stormy Daniels claims she had an affair with Donald Trump in 2006.
CNN reports that the FBI is investigating Greitens based on claims by one Eli Karabell who claimed he was on the Governor’s transition team (he was not) and that the FBI interviewed him about Greitens. Oddly enough, attorney Al Watkins popped up again in this piece, apparently, he represents Karabell too.
Jan 20
Governor Greitens gives first interview since acknowledging an extramarital affair. Said there was “no blackmail” and “no threat of violence.” Told reporters he has no plans to resign.
New York Times reports that Congressman Patrick Meehan (R-Pa) — who had taken the leading role in fighting sexual harassment in Congress — used thousands of dollars of taxpayer money to settle his own misconduct complaint after a former aide accused him of making unwanted romantic overtures toward her last year.
Jan 21
It’s 71° in Jefferson City. (Recall it was -6° on Jan 1).
For the third time in two weeks, celebrities in Hollywood give themselves awards and spout off about politics. The SAG award show kicked off with Kristen Bell mocking Melania Trump.
Jan 22
Jamie Allman launches a Twitter attack on Scott Faughn. In a tweet addressed to former Missouri Speaker Tim Jones, Allman claims Faughn “conspired” to run the Governor out of office with “fools like [Sen. Rob Schaaf, Jim Lembke, Rep. Kathie Conway, Rep. Marsha Hafner, and Steve Tilley].”
Jan 23
Twitter attack spurs response “Faughn: What I learned when I got knocked off my horse.”
Courtland Sykes makes his now-infamous “Women’s Rights” Facebook post.
Jan 24
Breitbart reports that “CNN Relies on Compromised Source for Gov. Greitens Hit Piece”
Claire McCaskill and Jeff Flake eat pork together:
This is NOT a pretty picture; what were their staffers thinking?
Jan 25
Republican #MOLeg leaders say they’ll send the Governor the budget and it won’t match his.
Five days after the New York Times reported about his taxpayer-financed harassment settlement, Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.) announces he will not seek re-election this year.
Jan 26
In Columbia at Democrat chili supper Friday night, Sen. Claire McCaskill remarks:
In other news, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley denies a baseless, sexist rumor spawned by the shameless “Fire and Fury” author Michael Wolff that she was having an affair with the President.
Jan 27
AG Josh Hawley is featured in a piece in the Atlantic as a rising star of the Republican Party (along with others like Nikki Haley, Ben Sasse, Charlie Baker, Will Hurd, Mia Love, and Marsha Blackburn).
Jan 28
For the fourth time in three weeks, celebrities give each other awards, get political, talk about #MeToo. This time it was at the Grammy’s. So brave.
Jan 29
Greitens goes on tour to tout his tax cut plan.
Jan 30
Missouri Times 5th Anniversary bash was attended by 400+ people, including all but few members of the Missouri Senate and an overwhelming supermajority of the Missouri House of Representatives, as well as former Gov. Bob Holden, Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, and former U.S. Senator Kit Bond.
Jan 31
A train carrying dozens of Republican members of Congress, including Missouri’s Vicki Hartzler, collides with garbage truck while en route to legislative retreat.
McCaskill-Hawley have a sex trafficking tête-à-tête on Twitter:
Feb 1
As for the low-income housing tax program, Jason Crowell told Jason Rosenbaum:
“The game is already over, ” and Greitens won.
Feb 2
Ann Wagner running for US Senate? Jason Hancock and Jason Rosenbaum both report rumors/speculation that she may be reconsidering and/or being recruited to run.
(Because all Missouri needs in its #MOSen circus now is more Republican primary candidates for ringmaster Claire McCaskill to manipulate, right?)
Feb 3
#MOToo – AP reports that the Missouri House has dealt with four sexual harassments complaints involving lawmakers in last 2 years.
Mizzou beat Kentucky at basketball for the first time, ever. Yay!
And finally, over the weekend there was this lovely depiction of our state on national TV:
Missouri national news making me #facepalm? Some things never change.
Jennifer Bukowsky is a constitutional and criminal defense attorney in Columbia, Missouri. She is also a regular Missouri Times columnist and a weekly guest on the Gary Nolan Show. She serves on the Missouri Supreme Court’s Task Force on Criminal Justice, on the Board of Directors of the Show-Me Institute, and on the Steering Committee of the Federalist Society–Jefferson City Lawyers Chapter.
Jennifer defended a client who was found “not guilty” of murder – the only “not guilty” on a Boone County murder in over 50 years. She also won the release of a man who was wrongfully convicted and served over 20 years – since age 14 – for a murder he did not commit. Jennifer has received numerous awards for her skills as a trial and appellate attorney.
Jennifer was a Trump delegate at the RNC in 2016. She previously served as an adjunct professor of law for the University of Missouri, and as the youngest-ever President of the Boone County Bar Association.
Jennifer received a J.D. with highest honors from the University of Missouri School of Law. She is also a CPA.
